Wp To Form Police Force

Town To End Deal With Kw Sheriff

June 03, 1998|By TINA MCCLOUD Daily Press

West Point will form its own police force, breaking ties with the King William County Sheriff's Office that date back more than 20 years.

The Town Council will hire a police chief and five patrol officers, said Town Manager Lance Metzler. The department will replace the six town deputies Sheriff W. Wayne Healy hires as part of his contracted duties as police chief.

The council voted to end the contract with Healy after discussions in a closed-door session Monday night. The contract allows either side to get out of the agreement with a 90-day notice.

``I told them I'd work with them as hard as I ever had, to have a smooth transition,'' Healy said Tuesday. He said he was not invited to the council's private discussion nor asked what would be required to make the change, such as needing clerical help, computers or dispatching.

Healy said he didn't know about the change until Mayor R. Tyler Bland III called him Tuesday morning. He has been sheriff since 1984; the office started providing contracted service to the town in 1975, he said.

But Healy said he wasn't surprised; the idea of a police department has surfaced periodically through the years. In the past, the town has ended shared arrangements for school administration, building inspections and parks and recreation with the county, he said.

Metzler said town growth and cost savings were factors in the decision.

The sheriff's proposed contract for the coming year, which starts July 1, is about $270,000, said Metzler. That pays for the six deputies, their weapons and vehicles, and about $12,000 for Healy to serve as police chief, said the sheriff. Metzler said he believes the town can save about $9,000 a year with its own police force.

The six deputies can apply for the police slots, he said. The council doesn't have anyone in mind to be chief, he said.

* Tina McCloud can be reached at (804) 642-1746 or by e-mail at tmccloud@dailypress.com